Dungeons & Warriors
by WriterBetweenTheLines
Summary: For centuries, the four warrior kingdoms have lived in peace. But now, a great shadow has fallen over the realm of Lakeside. Three young warriors, Lion, the knight, Holly, the rogue, and Jay, the cleric have been chosen to go on a quest to defeat a dark wizard, that hopes to resurrect the warriors of the Dark Forest. - Not a Warriors/ D&D X-over. Rated T for violence.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

Hello everyone! This is my new story, Dungeons & Warriors. ( Cheering ) To start it off I just want to say that this isn't your average Warriors fanfic. If you like fanfictions to stay relatively close to the original plot, this story may not be for you. But the introduction will probably explain it all. So let's get on with the show!

In the realm of Lakeside, there exist four warrior clans. These clans are the stealthy Shadowclan, the graceful Riverclan, the swift Windclan, and perhaps the most famous of all, the powerful and honorable Thunderclan. Each of these clans has claimed their own part of Lakeside. Four territories exist around the great Lake at the center of the realm. Shadowclan claimed the pine forests of the south, Riverclan , the marshes of the east, Windclan, the hills and valleys of the west, and Thunderclan, the thick oak forests of the north. Above, the heavenly Starclan, watches over these four clans, guiding them and warning them of threats they may face. For years, these Clans coexisted in relative peace. Other than the occasional border squabble, no battles were waged. However, a great darkness began to fall over the realm. The Dark Forest, a realm of darkness and evil, was were all of the truly evil warriors were sent when they died, but their spirits were not at rest. The spirits of the evil dead, fueled by their hatred and thirst for revenge, began training themselves and some of the living to wage a final war to conquer the realm of the living. The four clans knew they had to combine all of their forces defeat the great shadow that threatened them all. With the legendary Firestar, king of Thunderclan, leading the great army, the clans, along with the angelic warriors of Starclan, were able to defeat the evil that had accumulated for so long. With the defeat of the Dark Forest, the clans settled back into a time of peace. But now, a new darkness has come to the clans. Three young warriors have been chosen to defeat this new darkness. Along the way, they will make new friends, meet new enemies, and, in the end, face their destinies…


	2. Prologue

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

" Have you been told what it is?" The regal voice bounced and ricocheted off of the stone walls of the castle hall. The voice belonged to a man with short red hair, dressed in long, flowing robes. From his appearance you would expect him to be young, just reaching adulthood. But in reality, he had lived for many years now. The question was directed at a woman dressed with long brown hair. She wore a light green robe, with a medal pinned to her breast. The medal was in the shape of a cat's head with a star emblazoned into the center, the symbol of the heavenly Starclan. "No," she answered in a tired voice, as if the question had been asked of her many times before. She stared into the glowing orb that sat on a pedestal in front of her. No answers had been given from Starclan about the strange, sinister feeling she had been feeling for the past few days. Nor did it give answer to the dark clouds gathering on the horizon. The woman waved her hands over the orb, as she had done many times before, and prayed to Starclan to give her a sign or a vision of things to come. For a moment, nothing felt different, but suddenly, the woman found herself not inside the castle walls, but on top of a tower made of black stone. The sky was dark with sinister clouds, and a great howling wind was blowing across the tower. The woman looked around in shock, noticing a figure standing across from her. She squinted to see through the great gusts of wind, and saw a figure garbed in dark robes. It chanted over a symbol on the roof in front of it. The woman recognized the symbol as a summoner's circle, a pentagram inside of a circle. Several runes were written around the symbol in a crimson substance that bore a resemblance to blood. The priestess looked on in shock as the symbol began to glow a bright red, and gouts of smoke began to rise from the center. As the dark figure chanted on, the smoke began to take the form of a human. From the smoke glowed two blood red eyes. The woman looked on in horror as the smoky figure began to move towards her. She opened her mouth to scream, but the wind blew away her voice. She prepared to meet Starclan, when, suddenly, she found herself back in the castle hall. She was lying on the floor with the king standing above her, a worried expression on his face. He gave a sigh of relief when she began to regain consciousness. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. She shivered, gripping the king's hand as he pulled her back to her feet. "I'm all right," she answered, "How long was I down?" "Only for a moment," the king answered, "Did you receive a vision?" "Yes," she replied. "I bear bad tidings from Starclan. The threat to the kingdom is far worse than we had expected. Old enemies are threatening to rise again." The king gasped, "Surely you don't mean…" The priestess only had to look at the king to answer his question. The king sighed. "So it has begun again. Do we have any time to stop it?" "Yes," the woman answered, "but only a small window of opportunity has been allowed to us. We must send them immediately." The king looked at her worriedly. "Are you sure they are ready?" "They have to be," she answered. "If they are not, than all is already lost…"


	3. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

The sun shone down on a beautiful day in the realm of Lakeside. Today was the kind of day that made it hard for even Shadowclan to be unhappy. On this kind of day, you would find most inhabitants of the realm taking walks through the numerous forests, or maybe paying a visit to one of the four temples to receive a blessing from Starclan. No one would expect this to be the day that three young people would have their lives changed forever. For the young warrior Lion, this day was the perfect day to spend training at the local Fighters' Guild. Lion woke up at the crack of dawn, adorned the red cape he wore over pinned to the collar of his shirt, a special gift from the king himself, quietly snuck out of the house he shared with his father, and made his way down the slowly waking street to the Fighters' Guild hall. He used the key he had been given after his initiation to enter the building. He walked through the quiet halls, admiring the assorted weapons that adorned the walls. He passed by colorful tapestries, depicting images of war heroes and amazing battles waged in the times before. As he passed these by, he thought to himself that he would one day join the heroes that graced these halls with their achievements. He reached the door that led to the outside training grounds. The grounds consisted of several training dummies, a few archery targets, and a battering ram that swung from chains attached to several wooden posts. The ram was used to test the armor that the guild members who were skilled in smithing created. Lion breathed in the smell of metal and sweat. The training grounds had been used by the guild for centuries. He crossed over to one of the wooden fences that enclosed the grounds, taking a steel longsword from one of the racks lining the fence. He approached his favorite training dummy, one that he had named Stuffy. This was in reference to all of the stuffing that leaked from the many cuts in the dummy's leather "skin." He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He raised his sword and swung with a diagonal cut from his right shoulder to his left hip. He followed up with a left-to-right horizontal slash, and he finished the maneuver with a spinning diagonal slash, this time from his left shoulder to his right hip. With each swing, more stuffing flew from Stuffy. Lion laughed to himself and said out loud, "Sorry old friend. Looks like I win again." He began more combat maneuvers, training himself to be the best warrior the four kingdoms had ever seen. _I want to be the very best, like no one ever was…_

As the young warrior trained his body, another young man trained his mind. Jay, apprentice cleric of the temple of Thunder, was meditating in his room. He pondered the mysteries of the world and the powers of Starclan. Only when he realized his true strength could he become a master priest. He found it very hard to concentrate today. On the edge of his consciousness, he felt a dark sensation, one that he could not explain. He opened his eyes and sighed. Today was too beautiful a day to be stuck in his room meditating. Although he couldn't see the sunshine, he loved the warmth of the sun on his skin and the cool breeze in his light gray hair. He sighed once more and crossed his small room to the door across from his bed. He opened the door and passed into the main chapel hall of the temple. Although he couldn't see his surroundings, he was gifted the ability to "sense" his surroundings by Starclan. He never stumbled around the temple, as he spent so much time here that he could probably tell his way around without his special gift. He crossed the room, passing the pews, to the altar of Thunder, patron and founder of Thunderclan. He offered a quick prayer before walking to the great wooden doors of the temple. He crossed though the threshold and closed his eyes as the warmth of the dawn sun soaked into his light blue cleric's robes. He was enjoying the coming of the new day so much that he didn't notice the hurried footsteps coming from behind him. He flinched as a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. Concentrating on his gift, he recognized the head priestess of the temple, Lady Leafpool. She removed her hand from his shoulder as he turned to greet her. Before he could utter a word, she placed a finger to his lips, and said, "I need to speak with you in my council chamber. It is a matter of utmost importance." He blinked his sightless eyes in surprise, but followed her hurried footsteps to the back of the temple.

While the young apprentice was being guided towards his destiny, another young warrior was being guided towards her own fate. Her curved, scimitar-like dagger sank deep into the flesh of the Fox. Foxes are one of the inhabitants of the land of Lakeside, much like the four warrior kingdoms but with a few notable differences. Foxes are born thin, and from the moment they are born they are dressed in red colors, ranging from light red, to dark scarlet. Another difference is that Foxes speak another language than the kingdoms, and never seem to be able to get along with the other inhabitants of Lakeside. They are often taking occupations as assassins, thieves, and bandits, which cause them to be hated by many of their neighbors. The Fox that had the dagger embedded into his shoulder happened to be one of these bandits, making a living by robbing the trade caravans that journeyed down the road near the camp. This particular bandit belonged to a group of criminals that had been monitoring the nearby trade route, searching for traveling merchants to "relieve" of their valuables. However, this band of thugs had the misfortune of being chosen for destruction by the secretive group, The King's Claw. The King's Claw was an organization of special warriors that had been chosen by the king to exterminate threats to the kingdom. The group usually didn't have to act unless something major was happening, but lately, the kingdoms were having a period of piece, and jobs were at an all time low. Now, the group was sharing jobs with the Fighters' Guild. A bandit party here, a wolf pack there was all the action that Holly, current trainee of the group, was able to experience. Though the battles were exciting, the young rogue craved something more. She withdrew her dagger from the bandit's shoulder and drew the blade's twin across his throat. She sighed as his fell clasping his throat as if hoping to stem the gush of blood that left his neck. She sheathed her twin daggers as the bandit leader fell to the blade of her mentor, Rowan. Rowan had been a veteran of the group, serving the king for many years. He was probably skilled enough to take on those bandits by himself, so she knew that he had brought her just to have some company. Now he was searching the leader's tent, looking for any valuables he could scavenge. When he emerged holding nothing, she knew he had found nothing of interest. "Well, at least that used up some time," Rowan remarked cheerfully. Holly sighed. She didn't usually share his optimistic attitude. "Cheer up kiddo," he said, patting her shoulder. She sighed once more as she followed him back to the road that lead to the kingdom.

ΩΩΩ

Once they had returned to the castle, (A special wing was built for especially for the elite group.) Holly prepared to return to the library and read one of the numerous books, when she and her mentor were approached by another of the guild's apprentices, Blossom. "Holly, Rowan, the leader wants to see you immediately! He says it's very important!" Blossom told them excitedly, as if she had been awaiting their arrival for a long time. Rowan nodded to her and smiled. "Thank you Blossom, we'll report to him immediately." Blossom seemed to beam when she heard his thanks. Besides being a veteran of the guild, Rowan was also very popular with the girls. In fact, Holly seemed to be the only one girl in the guild that could resist his charms. That was one of the prime reasons she was chosen to be his apprentice. Rowan and Holly walked through the corridors preparing to meet the guildmaster, Flame. They knocked on the door, and walked in after receiving permission. At an oaken desk sat the guildmaster. He was a young man, with short, trimmed red hair. His appearance suggested him to be in his twenties. Holly was surprised every time she saw the guildmaster, for his youth was quite unexpected. Most guildmasters were old, as they needed time to gain the experience needed to become a guildmaster. However, Master Flame was a prodigy in the arts of the rogue, graduating from his apprenticeship before all of the other apprentices. After that, he rose through the ranks, and claimed the title of guildmaster after he used his superior skills to defeat a general of the Dark Forest army during the Great War. He sat in his seat with an air of authority that not many others could boast of. "Good," he said in a calm voice, "You're here. I have an assignment for you…"


	4. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

Hi everyone! I just wanted to take a second to thank someone that really motivated me. For a while, I was thinking of quitting this story, but one review changed my mind. Thanks go to Full Force, whose review seriously motivated me to keep going. Thanks Full Force!

"HIYAH!" A battle cry sound through clearing that was the Fighters' Guild training ground. A blade flashed through the air, and a ball of cloth and cotton stuffing flew through the air. Lion chuckled to himself as the training dummy's head fell to the ground. "Aw man, I thought you would've put up a better fight," he mocked out loud. "A dummy may not, but I'm sure I can!" Lion winced as the voice sounded from the entrance to the training area. Lion looked toward the entrance and groaned. A boy with raven black hair, wearing a black tunic and breeches stood in the gate to the grounds. The voice belonged to no other than Breeze, apprentice of the Fighters' Guild and Lion's all time rival. Since the day they met, Breeze and Lion had always competed to be the best at everything. Breeze walked through the clearing, taking a sword from one of the weapon racks lining the fence. "Why don't you try taking on someone a little tougher than a training dummy?" Breeze questioned mockingly, his usual smug smirk on his face. Lion sighed and said, "You're not going to leave me alone until I beat you are you? Oh well, I accept your challenge! But we should probably grab some proper sparring gear so we don't-"Lion was cut off as Breeze lunged forward with an overhead vertical slash. Lion was barely able to bring his sword up in time to block the potentially lethal blow, but the powerful swing caused him to lose his balance and drop his guard. Breeze took advantage of Lion's vulnerability and swung his sword in a horizontal slash towards Lion's neck. Lion exclaimed, but was able to duck out of the way in time to dodge the deadly swing. "What are you doing!?" Lion cried out. Breeze said nothing, only stepped back to regain his stance, leveling the point of his blade at Lion's chest. Lion hesitated for a moment, before regaining his own stance, holding his sword at an angle, away from his body. "STOP!" A forceful voice sounded from the entrance to the grounds. Breeze and Lion simultaneously looked over to the gates. A tall man with light gray hair was standing there, wearing a black traveling coat, held together by a brooch in the shape of a cat's head, a lightning bolt coursing through it. This was the symbol of Thunderclan, worn only by the nobles of the Kingdom. This man was Cloud, guildmaster of the Fighters' Guild, and captain of the Royal Knights. "Sparring without proper equipment is against the code of the Fighters' Guild. You two could've been killed. Breeze, I expect this out of you, but Lion, I expected more from you. Now I'm putting you both on probation. You are not allowed on the Fighters' Guild property until you can prove that you deserve to be here. The Fighters' Guild expects the best out of its apprentices, and if you can't follow the rules, then you don't belong here. Now get out of my sight." Breeze and Lion placed their weapons back on the rack and trudged past Cloud into the Fighters' Guild main hall. They quickly crossed through the hall and out into the cobblestone street. Lion turned on Breeze and scowled. "Thanks a lot Breeze, now we might get kicked out of the Fighters' Guild, and it's all your fault!" Breeze said nothing, only scowled and began walking down the street towards his home. Lion sighed and began walking back home. By now, the sun had risen and the streets were beginning to fill up with people going about their lives. A few minutes later, Lion had reached his home. As he walked through the door, he thought about calling his father, but he decided against it. His father was probably in their back yard, working on his forge. Lion's father, Bramble was a blacksmith, one of the best in the city in fact. Even the king requested his father's works. He crossed through their two- story house and walked through the backdoor into the backyard. As expected, his father, a tall man with red hair, adorned in a blacksmith's outfit, was hammering away at a piece of glowing hot metal that sat atop his anvil. As Lion approached, Bramble looked up from his hammering and raised a hand in greeting. Lion waved back without much enthusiasm. Bramble immediately noticed his son's mood, and he placed his hammer on the tool bench. He walked over to his son and asked, "Lion, are you feeling okay?" Lion sighed and explained what happened at the Fighters' Guild. Bramble growled. "That kid is really out of control. Why doesn't Crow discipline him?" Bramble shook his head, as if to clear his mind. "Oh well, there's not much we can do about it now, but I have something that might cheer you up." Bramble walked into the house for a moment, before returning with a piece of paper in his hand. Lion looked at it curiously after Bramble handed it to him. It was an envelope, sealed with the Thunderclan symbol. Lion tore through the wax seal and removed the letter from inside. "It's a summons," he explained excitedly to his father. "I've been summoned to the royal palace!" Bramble looked curious. "I wonder what it's about. Well, I guess you can explain later. You should probably get to the palace as soon as possible." Lion placed the letter back into its envelope, and began to run for the door, stopping for a moment to say, "See ya later dad!" He ran back through the house and down the street towards the royal palace at the center of the city.


	5. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

He streaked through the crowded streets, running past pedestrians and trade carts. He bumped into several people and muttered hurried apologies. At last, he was able to reach the place where he was going. He stopped and looked up at the great gates that held the royal palace. Several royal guards, garbed in golden armor guarded the entrance to the palace grounds. As he approached, one of the guards stepped towards him. "Have you any important business in the palace?" the guard questioned. Lion hurriedly drew the envelope containing his summons from his pocket. He presented the letter to the guard, who scrutinized it with a watchful eye. After discovering that the letter was not a forgery, Lion was allowed to pass through the gates and into the palace grounds. He was escorted by the guard to the castle's main hall, where the king's throne sat. Lion walked into the grand hall, awed by its elegance. As he surveyed the room, he noticed four other figures awaiting him at the end of the hall. Once he reached the end of the hall, he was able to better see the figures. The first he noticed was a girl with shoulder length black hair and striking green eyes. There was also a boy with pale blue eyes, dressed in light blue cleric's robes, a man with brown hair, laced with a few early streaks of gray, and a woman with long brown hair, clothed in the garments of a high priestess. The last figure was a young man with red hair, clothed in regal finery. Lion vaguely recognized the younger girl, but he fully knew the identity of the young man sitting on the throne. This was King Firestar, ruler of all Thunderclan. Lion recognized him from an experience that he had when he was but a young boy. It was during the parade celebrating the defeat of the evil forces of the Dark Forest. Lion was thrilled that day, because his father was returning from the war. Although he hadn't fought, Bramble was a valuable part of the Great Army. He made many of the Army's finest weapons, including the sword of the King himself. That day, father and son were reunited, and it was a very happy day indeed. To add to it, as Lion watched the parade from his perch upon Bramble's shoulders, a great man approached him. Adorned with a crown of beautiful wild flowers, the king himself, atop his white steed, approached the young boy. Lion was awed as the King approached him and began to remove the bright red cape that was tucked into the neck of his ceremonial armor. He removed the cape from his shoulders, folded it into a neat square, and placed it into the boy's small hands. Lion gazed at the King's smiling face in wonder. "Keep your light shining bright young one, and you will never fall into the shadow," the King said to the small boy before steering his horse back into the parade line. Lion watched as the king rode away, and thought about his words. After that day, Lion swore to remember the King's words, and chose to live by what he was told that day. He never broke his vow, and always tried to keep his light shining bright. Now, the King smiled as Lion approached. Lion stepped confidently forward, before falling to one knee in respect of the King. "You may rise, young Lion," the King said. Lion stood up, then found that a seat had been placed for him. He took his seat beside the boy with the pale blue eyes. As he sat, the priestess stood and said, "It seems that we have all arrived. My lord, would you begin?" "Yes," the King said as the woman sat back down. "I suppose that we should all introduce ourselves. Master Rowan, would you begin?" The man named Rowan stood from his chair. "My name is Rowan. I am a member of the elite group, the King's Claw, and mentor to Holly, an apprentice of our order. Holly would you like to say anything?" The girl named Holly shook her head, and Rowan sat down, gesturing to the priestess to go next. The woman stood and said, "My name is Leafpool. I am the high priestess of the temple of Thunder. I am also mentor to my apprentice cleric, Jay. Jay, do you have anything to add?" The boy with blue eyes stood. "My name is Jay. I am the apprentice of Leafpool, high priestess of Thunder. You may have noticed that I am indeed blind." Lion's eyes widened at that. Why would a blind cleric be here at a gathering of warriors? "Even though I am blind, I am not useless. I have been given a special sort of… sense… by Starclan. I must say that I don't want, nor need anyone's pity. Thank you." Jay sat back down, his mentor looking embarrassed. Lion guessed that he should introduce himself next. He stood up nervously and said, "Um, my name is Lion, and I am an apprentice of the Fighters' Guild. Well, sort of. I'm currently on probation." Lion winced as he sat down. Why did he mention the part about him being on probation?! The King was next to speak. "Well than, now that that's over we can get down to business. Leafpool, would you like to explain" The woman stood again. "As you all know, you have been summoned here to the King's palace. The reason for this is that all of you have been chosen to go on a quest." Lion was shocked at Leafpool's words. He was going to go on a quest! Maybe this would prove to Cloud that he belonged in the Fighters' Guild. "There is a great darkness gathering on the horizon. This darkness could be a great threat to the entire realm. However, the threat is currently small, but over time, it will grow into a great and dark power. You have been chosen to defeat this darkness before it can grow into something much more difficult to defeat." Lion strongly studied her words, absorbing every sentence. "You will first be taken to the Royal Armory, where you may choose any equipment you may require. You will then set out from the gates of the kingdom. You must journey to the other kingdoms, to enquire any knowledge of the threat that you can. Once you have found the location of the threat, you must find it, and destroy it. Are there any questions?" No one questioned the assignment that was given to them. "Good," the King clapped his hand together, "I will accompany you all to the armory." Everyone rose from their seats, and left the hall, following the stride of the King Firestar.


	6. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

After passing through several winding hallways, the party finally reached the twin doors to the royal armory. Rowan grasped opened the doors, revealing a room lined with shelves and racks. These were stacked with weapons and armor of every kind. Lion looked around the room in amazement, admiring the stacks of weapons that made the Fighters' Guild's arsenal seem small. There were spears and swords of various lengths, armor in enough sizes to suit any warrior. There were shelves lined with pouches of throwing knives and bottles of sinister looking poison. There were blades that put out an unmistakable air of magic, some with minor enchantments and some that could boast of enchantments so powerful that only the greatest of spell swords could wield. "Take your pick," the King told the rest of the party. Lion and Holly instantly raced forward to inspect the weapons that they would take on their journey. Jay stayed in the doorway with his mentor, and Rowan followed Holly to the shelves of daggers, carefully inspecting each blade before recommending them to his apprentice. Lion was examining a long sword with a shining red ruby in the hilt, when he noticed something near the back of the room. It was a small wooden door. As he looked at it, he was aware that the King had appeared behind him. "Do you wonder what's behind that door?" he asked. Lion nodded in wonder. "Well, I'll tell you, it's not just a normal supply closet. Would you like to take a look inside?" Lion nodded again. The King drew a golden key from his robe, and placed it into a small keyhole above the handle of the door. The keyhole gleamed in a rainbow hue for a moment, revealing the presence of a magical lock, before it clicked and the door opened. Lion followed the King into the room. The room was larger than the doorway suggested, actually about as large as the room they had just left. Adorning the walls were paintings and tapestries recounting the legends of heroes both long past, and those that had recently come to be. Lion gazed in awe at one of the paintings. On the canvas were two armies, one wreathed in black armor and the other in armor of various colors and with four different insignias. Between these two armies stood a man wearing jeweled armor, engraved with the symbol of Thunderclan. The man held a shining jeweled sword above his head. Lion knew that this was the Great Battle between the armies of the Dark Forest and the four kingdoms of the living world. The man in the center was King Firestar, holding his great sword above his head, a symbol of the light that would vanquish the darkness. As Lion looked around the room, he was even more awed by the light that came from the center of the room. The light came from a shining set of armor, the jewels that adorned it gleaming with the magical light that shone from the ceiling. This was the King's very own gear, the armor and weapon he had used during the Great Battle. The King strode over to the armor, and picked up a sheathed sword. He turned back to Lion and held out the sword. "This sword was forged by your father, and so I see it only as fitting that you would use it in the quest that you now embark on. Take it, and with it, vanquish once more the evil that threatens us." Lion slowly held out his hand, taking the sword from the King's hands gingerly. It let out a satisfying ring as he drew it from its sheath and held it up. It was perfectly balanced, and Lion knew that this was the perfect blade for him. "T-thank you Your Majesty. I-I don't know what to say…" The King smiled. "There is nothing more that you must say. You may go. I think that I'll stay here for a moment and… reminisce." The King turned around and began studying the tapestries and paintings. Lion decided to leave the King to his memories, and he turned around to leave the room. He closed the door behind him, its magical lock resealing itself. He noticed that his companions were standing by the door, waiting for him. He attached the sword to his belt and walked over to the waiting warriors. Holly sighed and said, "Finally. We've been waiting for ages." Rowan looked at his apprentice and said with scorn, "Holly, it hasn't been that long, and even if it had been we're all in this together now, so we need to learn to be friends." Holly rolled her eyes and muttered, "Great Starclan, I was only joking…" Leaf ignored the two. "Well, it seems you have chosen your equipment. We can now set out. Wait, Lion, have you chosen any armor?" Lion winced as he realized he hadn't chosen any gear besides the King's sword. He hastily dashed to a nearby wall and grabbed a set of chainmail armor. After a moment, he had strapped on the armor under his red cloak. "Okay, now I'm good. Let's go."


	7. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

AN: I just wanted to say that, I know that the last chapter was practically filler. I really should've added more. I also wanted to say that I'm going to try a new writing style, so tell me if you think it's an improvement. Thanks!

The group set out from the castle armory, making their way through the castle and palace grounds before reaching the inner city. They began their journey through the inner city, the place where the nobles and higher-ups kept their residence. The entire place seemed spotless and elegant, not a spot of litter in sight. The houses were all beautifully built, all of them at least two stories high. Lion looked around at these buildings, a blank look on his face. He didn't scorn the rich like most of those in his middle-class part of the city, and he definitely didn't curse them like those that lived in the slums of the outer city. He didn't envy them, or feel jealous of their blessings. He was perfectly happy with his life with his father. After all, he was given the chance to have all of this. After the war, his father was offered basically anything that he wanted in reward for his services, but all he asked for was enough to make sure that he never had to raise his son in poverty. Instead of resenting his father for this, he found him a noble and virtuous man. He was offered all of the riches he could ever want, but all he wanted was a good future for his son. Whenever Lion was tempted by greed, he would try to remember what his father had done that day. That thought usually kept him from getting into trouble.

Next, they passed through the middle-city, the place that held Lion's home. As they walked down the street, they passed by several street-side merchants, selling a variety of items ranging from fake jewelry to vegetables. As they approached Lion's house, he noticed his father was standing in the doorway.

"Dad!" he called out, dashing over to his father. They embraced as Lion's companions approached. "Guys, this is my dad. Dad, these are… well, I'll let them introduce themselves."

The group took turns introducing themselves to Bramble, Lion watching from the side.

"So, what's going on? What was the summons about?" Bramble asked curiously.

"I'm going on a quest dad! A serious, for real quest!" Lion exclaimed excitedly.

Bramble looked shocked at this for a moment, before a small smile dawned on his face. "Well, I always knew that this day would come. I can't say that I'm surprised. Following in your good ole dad's footsteps huh." He looked toward Lion's companions. "So, what are you going to be doing on this quest."

Lion looked toward Leafpool to explain.

"You see…" Leafpool began. She went on to explain the events that led up to the quest and what the group must accomplish.

Bramble began to frown as the quest got darker. "I'm not so sure about this, but I suppose there's nothing I can do seeing as how you were chosen by Starclan. All I can do is give you my best wishes I suppose."

"Don't worry dad, I'll be fine. I know how to fight, and let's just say that I have a secret weapon." Lion said cheerfully, patting the King's sword that was strapped to his waist.

Bramble smiled. "Well then, get out of here! Get out there and save the kingdom!" he told Lion with mock forcefulness.

Lion laughed and gestured for his companions to follow. As they reached the end of the street, Lion took a moment to look back and wave at his father. Bramble waved back, a sad smile on his face. Behind Bramble, a pair of narrowed grey eyes watched the group leave. Hurried footsteps passed between the crowds, following the trail of Lion and the others.

The final part of the kingdom was the last area between them and castle gates. The group hurried through here, their eyes about them. The slums could be dangerous to those that didn't know how to take care of themselves. It was inhabited by countless thieves and ne'er-do-wells. As they approached the final stretch of dirty road between them and the gates, Holly suddenly spoke.

"We shouldn't cross through here." She said quietly.

The rest of the group looked at her with puzzled eyes. "But why can't we cross here?" Lion asked, bewildered.

"Just trust me on this one. We might run into some… issues." Holly replied. The group decided to obey, and they took a side street around the road. They finally reached the gates, which were guarded by numerous city guards. In conflict of the tight security, the gates were already raised. Due to these times of peace, the gates were rarely closed these days. The group passed through the gateway, stopping on the path to the next kingdom, the kingdom of Windclan.

Leafpool turned to face the group. "It seems that you are about to take the first real steps on the path to your destinies. I regret to inform you that my journey ends here. I must stay, to assist the King if we are attacked while you are on your journey."

Jay stepped back in shock. "But, you can't just leave me! I haven't even learned all of the basic Holy spells, and I know that none of them can teach them to me!" he cried out, seemingly outraged, but with a hint of desperation in his voice.

Leafpool raised a hand to silence him. "I'm sorry Jay, but you must go on this quest without me. However, in time you will learn these things yourself, along with help from your friends. However, I do have some advice for you. As you journey around the realm, visit the other shrines. You have already prayed at the shrine of our patron Thunder, but you have yet to awaken the powers of the other four shrines. If you can make a pilgrimage to the three shrines of Wind, River, and Shadow, then pray at the final shrine of Starclan, then you will truly unlock your potential as a priest of Starclan. Do you understand?"

Jay sighed, but nodded in agreement.

"Good. I have gifts for you all before you start your quest." Leafpool walked in front of Jay. "For you, the stone of Thunder." She withdrew a ruby amulet from her robes. "With it, you may summon the spirit of Thunder, both for assistance in battle, and for advice out of battle. However, you may not use it in vain. When summoned, Thunder will draw from your very own spiritual power to manifest himself, and it will greatly drain you. Therefore, I only suggest using it once a day."

"Thank you, master Leafpool." Jay said respectfully, taking the amulet and putting it on.

Next, she went to Hollyleaf. "For you, an amulet of opal. It represents the power of light, for when you are wearing it, you will have perfect eyesight, even in magical darkness. It can also be used to summon light if your allies cannot see what lies ahead."

Hollyleaf nodded her head in thanks, taking the amulet and placing it around her neck.

Third, was Rowan. "To you, I give a ring, embedded with diamond. It contains a great defensive magic that can deflect the strongest of blades, the fastest of arrows, and the most potent of magic. But, it is limited. The ring will run out of energy depending on the strength of the attack that it nullifies. You must be careful, for if the shield breaks in the middle of a powerful attack, you will be helpless."

"Thank you, High Priestess." Rowan replied, his usual cheery grin replaced with a serious frown.

"And finally, you young Lion." Leafpool said, standing in front of the him. "For you I have an amulet of crystal. The crystal has a very potent detection magic inside it that will warn you of any dark presence around you, including the forces of the Necromancer that threatens us. You will feel an ominous sensation and the crystal will grow warm on its chain. If it does this, be on your guard, for there is darkness around."

Lion looked at the crystal amulet in his hand in awe. He looked back into Leafpool's eyes and stammered, "T-thank you Lady Leafpool. I'll treasure it forever."

Leafpool took a step back and faced the group, a soft smile on her face. "I hope that my gifts will assist you in defeating the Necromancer, and that they will bring you all back home to the kingdom safely. Until then, I fare you well, brave heroes.

She stepped to the side, allowing the four to pass. They began their journey to the kingdom of Windclan, but not before looking back to wave goodbye to Leafpool, and the kingdom that they knew they must protect. Lion looked back the longest, staring at the only life he had ever known. He knew most of all the importance of the quest they were beginning. _For dad_ he thought, as he stared at the walls containing his father. He jumped as he heard Rowan's voice from ahead.

"Hey Lion! You coming or what?" Rowan called out mockingly.

"Coming!" Lion called back, his face red as he ran to catch up. What he didn't notice when he looked back was the black haired boy that hid between some nearby trees, watching the group make its way forward.


	8. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

Lion groaned as the group reached the top of the hill, revealing several more in the distance. The four heroes had been walking for several hours and Lion could feel the muscles in his legs burning.

Rowan laughed. "You'd better get used to it kid. We're going to be doing a lot of walking before this is all over."

Holly cringed, her muscles burning as well. "Uh, Rowan, it is kind of getting close to sun down. Do you think that we should start setting up camp?"

Rowan laughed again. "Okay then lazy bones, we'll set up camp soon. Let's just walk a bit father, then we can take a rest."

The three apprentices simultaneously sighed in relief.

"So, who brought the tent?" Rowan asked the three.

The apprentices shared a puzzled look.

Rowan facepalmed. "I knew we were forgetting something. You guys packed food though right?"

The same look passed between the three.

Rowan sighed. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to improvise. You guys collect some sticks from those woods over there and start a fire. I'll get us some food."

With that, he dashed away to the nearby forest, daggers in hand.

The three apprentices watched him as he vanished between the trees.

"Well, I suppose we should gather some fire wood." Lion said.

The three approached the forest, gathering all of the sticks and twigs that had fallen from the trees. Once they had a suitable pile collected, Holly started the fire by rubbing two twigs together, something she had learned from her training. Together, they sat by the fire, waiting for Rowan to return. Lion took off his cape and folded it into a small square, which he then used as a makeshift pillow. Holly sat near the fire, gazing up at the stars. Jay sat against a tree, his eyes closed. To the others, he appeared to be asleep, but in reality, he was meditating. They sat there for about half an hour, before Rowan returned, a small deer hung over his shoulders. At his return, each of the apprentices looked up at him. Lion's eyes widened at the prey Rowan had caught.

"Whoa, how'd you manage that without a bow?" he asked, amazed.

Rowan laughed. "You don't need a bow if you know how to move. Let's get this thing ready to eat."

Before long, they were all munching on delicious venison. Using the skin of the deer, Rowan was able to craft make-shift pouches for them to use as canteens. He held them out to Lion.

"Lion, would you do me a favor and fill these with water? There's a river flowing a few minutes in that direction." He pointed deeper into the woods. Lion nodded in response, taking the water skins. He stood, taking a stick from the fire to use as a torch, and began walking towards the river. After a few minutes of walking, he reached a small river, really little more than a large stream. He planted the torch in the ground, and knelt down on the river bank. He took one of the pouches from his belt and began to fill it with water, when a rustling from behind startled him. He quickly looked back, but saw nothing unordinary. He justified it to himself as some forest animal making its way through the forest and quickly returned to the task at hand. However, an even louder noise crashed from behind a minute later, the sound of something crashing through the tree branches, followed by a loud thud. Lion dropped the pouch he had been filling on the river bank and turned toward the sound, quickly drawing his sword. He felt no heat from the amulet around his neck, so it couldn't be a creature of the darkness, but that didn't stave off his fear. He knew that even if a creature wasn't evilly aligned, it could still be dangerous. From the light of his torch that was stuck in the ground, Lion could see a dark heap lying on the ground a few feet away from him. The shape rose to its feet, groaning loudly.

Lion readied his sword, and cried out, "Show yourself!"

The shape stepped forward into the torchlight, revealing a young man in a black cloak.

"Breeze!" Lion cried out in surprise and shock.

Breeze ran a hand through his dark hair. "Darn it! First I fall out of a tree and hit my head, then my cover gets blown! This quest is the worst!"

"You shouldn't even be here Breeze. This was my quest, not yours!" Lion said angrily.

Suddenly, Rowan, Holly, and Jay burst into the clearing.

"Lion, are you all right? We heard you yell back in camp, and we thought something had gotten you." Rowan said breathlessly.

Lion shook his head. "No, I'm fine. But it looks like we have an unexpected guest." Lion pointed his sword at Breeze, who was still rubbing his head.

Breeze looked at the three new arrivals. "I couldn't let Lion get ahead of me in our training, so I thought that I would join this quest and show how much better than him I am. And once _I _beat the bad guy, the Fighters' Guild will have no choice but to take me back. So don't even bother trying to send me home!"

Rowan laughed and smiled at Breeze. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it. In fact, how about you officially join the team?"

Lion's jaw dropped.

Breeze sneered at Rowan. "I don't need to join any team of yours. I can do fine by myself." At that moment, Breeze's stomach rumbled. Breeze flinched and said, "Well, you know, I think I might join your team. But only if you guys give me food."

Rowan laughed again. "There's plenty. But you have to promise not to run off after we feed you."

Breeze snorted. "You think I'm that dishonorable? Only Lion would pull a trick like that. But fine, I'll join your little team if I get food and a share of the rewards at the end. Deal?"

Rowan nodded and crossed over to shake Breeze's hand. "Deal."

Breeze smirked at Lion and said, "Okay then, that's that. Now gimme some of that venison. I'm starving!"

Rowan, Breeze, Holly, and Jay left the clearing, leaving Lion alone. Lion just stood there, shocked. After a moment, he recovered. He sighed as he filled the remaining pouches. Lion had thought this quest would be fun, but now that Breeze was here, he wasn't so sure anymore. Oh well, just try to make the best of it. Lion picked up the filled pouches and began the trek back to camp.


	9. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

"Lion!"

Lion opened his eyes as he heard Holly's voice. He jumped to his feet quickly, just in time to see a dark figure grab Holly and drag her into the forest. He looked around quickly, searching for Jay, Rowan, and Breeze, but seeing no one. _Where did they go!? _He thought to himself. He gave up the search and decided to run after Holly and her captor. He dashed in between the trees, trying hard not to lose his way. The forest was dark with menacing clouds. Lion looked down at his amulet. It was hot against the front of his tunic. Lion knew that there was a demonic force around. He followed the trail of stirred up leaves and bracken to a small forest clearing. As he arrived, the scene suddenly shifted into the top of a tall tower, made of deep black stone. He looked around in shock. On his left was Jay, kneeling on the ground, a defiant look on his face even though he was obviously defeated. On his right was Holly, who was kneeling on the ground, clutching her chest and mumbling to herself, a black haze rising from her body. Across from Lion, was a man clothed in a black robe, his back turned and his hands raised to the sky, chanting. A black mist began to form in front of the man, taking the shape of a tall man. Lion tried to move, but his body was paralyzed with fear. The man in black collapsed to the floor. The shadow floated over his body, and began to approach Lion. Lion had no choice but to look into the shadow man's face. Within it, two red eyes burned. Lion tried to scream as he was engulfed in shadow…

Lion awoke with a shout. He looked around wildly, finding himself back in the woods. Holly, Jay, and Rowan stood over him. Lion's breathing steadied as he noticed his friends standing over him. The three backed away as he stood up.

Jay was the first to speak. "Are you okay Lion? You looked like you were having a bad dream."

Lion nodded. "Definitely a bad dream."

Holly smiled. "Now what would scare a brave knight such as yourself?" She asked sarcastically.

Lion laughed sheepishly. He looked around once more, searching for Breeze. He stood against a tree at the edge of the clearing, smirking at him. Lion should've known that Breeze wouldn't have cared. _Hmph. Like I wanted his worry anyway. _

"Okay then, now that we're all awake, how about we get back onto the road?" Rowan suggested.

Soon after, the five had refilled their water pouches and resumed their journey. It went on monotonously for three days, the five walking during the day, and resting at night. Lion was preparing for another day of walking, when Rowan suddenly spoke out.

"If I'm right, we should reach the Windclan kingdom in about an hour."

Lion laughed and said," Yes! Finally, we're almost there!"

On that note, the group walked for about an hour, proving Rowan right, as he usually was. The forests thinned out into sweeping moorland, characterized by rolling hills and strong winds. Suddenly, Rowan stopped walking and looked up. Lion did the same. What he saw awed him. A huge castle stood out against the sky, surrounded by a large wall. They had finally reached the castle of Windclan. Lion laughed in joy, and began running the last stretch to the castle. Breeze ran after him, refusing to be outran. The two other apprentices even decided to join in the fun, laughing and running after the other two apprentices. Rowan laughed, and dashed to catch up. The five finally arrived at the open gate, all of them fighting for breath, with the exception of Rowan, who hadn't even broken a sweat. Rowan explained their purpose to the guards as the others caught their breath.

"Okay guys, we can go in." Rowan said playfully, strolling through the gate. The other four walked slowly behind him, still breathing hard. As they walked, Lion studied his surroundings. _Wow, this place actually isn't that different from my kingdom._ He thought, studying the buildings. After walking for a few minutes, the five reached the middle of the city, full of streets packed with bustling trader's stands. The five walked into an inn. Rowan had decided to rent a room for them to stay in with some emergency gold that he kept in his boot at all times. They began to climb up the stairs to their room, when Jay suddenly spoke.

"You can all get settled here. I need to visit the temple of Wind."

With that, he left the room. Lion wondered how he would find the temple if he was blind, but brushed of the feeling quickly. He chalked it up as a cleric thing. Holly threw herself onto one of the five beds with a loud and happy sigh.

"Awww, this feels so good. If I had to sleep on the ground for one more night, I'm sure that my back would've turned to jelly."

Lion laughed at her, throwing himself onto his own bed. Rowan sat on his bed, staring out of the window with a blank look on his face. Holly looked at him worriedly.

"Rowan, are you okay?" she asked.

Rowan flinched and turned to look at her. "Yeah, why?"

Holly narrowed her eyes at him. "Because. You had _that_ look on your face. When you have that look on your face, it usually means trouble. Are you sure everything's all right?"

Rowan looked back out of the window. "Hmm… there are dark clouds on the horizon…"

Holly just sighed and lay down on her pillow. Lion looked at the two worriedly. Meanwhile, Breeze was snoring on his bed. Lion just shook his head at his rival and smiled. _You know, maybe a nap isn't that bad an idea._ He thought, laying on his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a minute, before falling asleep.

Rowan continued looking out of the window.


	10. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

_Now where could it be? _Jay thought to himself. He was navigating the busy streets of the Windclan city, wondering to himself where the temple of wind could be. _Hmm, if I can find a quiet place to meditate, maybe I could detect the temple's spiritual energy,_ he thought. He used his "sight" to find an alley between two buildings. He walked into it, pausing at the end. He then calmed himself, clearing his mind of all thoughts. He then began to search the surroundings for a high concentration of spiritual power. He detected a few minor powers, probably belonging to items that had been blessed at the temple, or maybe people that had been their recently, but he couldn't seem to pinpoint the temple's power. _It must be farther away,_ he thought. However, there was one power nearby that was higher than all of the others. It must belong to one of the members of the temple, a priest or priestess perhaps. Leaving the alley, Jay decided to find the source of the power, hoping it was someone that could lead him to the temple. He made his way through the busy streets. Although his "sight" did allow him to avoid most collisions, he couldn't help bumping into a few of the passerby's, mumbling quick apologies whenever he did so. Jay soon arrived near a trader's stand. He could tell it was this because he heard the owner's voice offering something to whoever was at the counter. The patron at the counter was the source of the spiritual power, which was actually quite strong. The owner walked to the back of the small stand, probably to get something to show to his customer.

Jay took advantage of this momentary pause to approach the person at the counter. "Excuse me, you wouldn't know where the temple of Wind is, would you?"

A soft, feminine voice answered him. "Yes, I do. In fact, I was just about to return to the temple. Would you like to come with me?"

"Yes, thank you. You see, I really need to visit the temple. It's important cleric business." Jay replied.

The girl giggled. "I can tell from your robes that you're a cleric too. But you aren't wearing the colors of Wind. Are you from one of the other kingdoms?"

"Yes, I'm from the temple of Thunder. Your temple has special colors? Back home, we can wear whatever colors we want."

"How strange. All of the members of the temple of Wind must wear shades of green, the sacred color of Wind." The girl answered.

Just then, the shopkeeper returned. "Here you are Halfmoon, the emeralds that you asked for. Since it's for the temple, I'll put this one on the house."

"Thank you!" The girl took something from the shopkeeper. Whatever she took had small bits of spiritual power.

"What is that?" Jay asked as he followed Halfmoon.

"This is a bag of emeralds, the holy stone of Wind. They hold a great significance to us, because if we can bring out the full potential of their magic, summoning Wind herself." Halfmoon explained.

Jay touched the ruby that hung from his neck. Together, they walked in silence for a few minutes before Jay began to feel the spiritual power from up ahead.

"This is the temple of Wind." Halfmoon said.

Jay closed his unseeing eyes, drinking in the power that emanated from the grounds. Together they walked inside. Jay could sense pews leading up to a main altar, much like his own temple.

The voice of a woman sounded from ahead. "Ah, Halfmoon, you have returned with the emeralds. And I see that you have brought a visitor."

"Yes, this is…" Halfmoon trailed off.

Jay flinched as he realized that he hadn't told Halfmoon his name. "I am Jay, apprentice cleric to the temple of Thunder."

"Ah, a visitor from the temple of Thunder. That explains the ruby that you have." The voice said. "I am Tall Shadow, high priestess of the temple of Wind. And this, as you probably already know, is my apprentice Halfmoon."

Jay bowed in respect to the high priestess.

Tall Shadow laughed. "Now now, there is no need for that. We are all equals here, young Jay. Now, may I ask what you are here for?"

Jay went on to explain the quest and his master's directions to Tall Shadow and Halfmoon. Throughout the story, Tall Shadow would sometimes nod, as in recognition.

As Jay finished, Tall Shadow said, "Hm, yes. I too have seen the darkness on the horizon. I am glad that you have made it here without any trouble. The dark powers must be waiting for the right moment. But enough of that. Now that you are here, you and Halfmoon can train together. First, I will show you how to awaken the emerald…"

ΩΩΩ

Rowan stared out of the window, a frown on his face. He could feel something coming, but he didn't know what it could be. Whatever it was, he knew that it couldn't be good.

He looked back at Holly's sleeping form. "Why must one so young be destined for so much sorrow?" he whispered to himself.

He watched as he she whimpered in her sleep. She seemed to be suffering from a nightmare. Every night since the beginning of their journey, she suffered, and he suffered to, because he knew that he couldn't help her…

ΩΩΩ

Holly cried as she relived her nightmare once again. She knelt down on bare earth. She cried, but instead of tears, blood streamed down her cheeks. Around her, flames flickered ominously. She could hear screams coming from all around her, screams of pain, screams of fear. But the worst, and most thrilling, part of the dream, was that she knew that it had all happened because of her. She had burned down the kingdom. She killed all of those people. She tortured the ones that she cared most about. She began to stand as she heard the screams of pain from the four in front of her. Four bodies knelt on the ground in front of her. The first, was her master, Rowan. He was held to the ground by his own to daggers, which had been thrust through his hands and into the ground. He was crying, and saying two words quietly, over and over.

"Holly, why? Holly, why? Holly, why?"

The next was Lion. He was held down by shackles that held his hands. The shackles were white hot, burning into his wrists. Lion screamed as the burning metal bit into him. The third was Jay. He whimpered. He was held to the ground by shackles. Unlike Lion however, he wasn't being burned. He was whimpering because of his eyes. His eyelids were sown shut, causing him to whimper whenever he tried to open them. The final body was a woman with raven black hair. She had green eyes that would have been beautiful. However, tears were streaming down the woman's face. Her hands were held to the ground by Holly's own twin daggers. She cried silently as she stared at Holly. Although she was horrified at the sight of the torture in front of her, Holly began to laugh. Her laugh grew louder as blood tears began to run down her face, sizzling as they hit the burning ground. A dark man set his hand on her shoulder as she laughed. He whispered into her ear, whispered the promises of darkness. All Holly could do was laugh and cry.

ΩΩΩ

Holly whimpered, a silent tear rolling down her face. Rowan sat beside her.

"I'm sorry Holly. I don't know how to help you. Whatever it is you dream of, you must face it alone…"


	11. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

Jay stood in the center of the circle, an emerald clasped in his hand. He focused his all of his mental and spiritual energy into the gem as Tall Shadow had instructed him, trying to awaken the power that slept within it. He closed his sightless eyes and held the gem tightly, so tightly that he thought his hands would bleed. He opened his eyes and gasped at what lay around him. He could _see_. All around him, was darkness, except for the light from the glowing green symbols that had been drawn around him. Suddenly, green orbs began to appear around him, glowing with the same light that emanated from the symbols on the floor. The light from these grew brighter and brighter, until Jay had to shut his eyes tight to block out the light. When the light faded, Jay opened his eyes and found himself somewhere new. He stood in a field of lush, long grass. The grass wavered in the breeze that blew lightly through the field. Jay savored this breeze, allowing it to cool and refresh him. He noticed quiet footsteps coming towards him. He looked up to see a beautiful woman, clothed in robes as green as the grass around her. She had hair the color of hay at harvest time, and her eyes sparkled an even brighter green than Holly's. Jay instantly recognized her as Wind, matron spirit of Windclan. She strode toward him with the grace and subtle power of the force she was named for. She came to a stop a few feet in front of him.

"Jay, apprentice of Thunderclan." She said in a voice that resembled the way wind whispered through the trees when it blew by. "I am glad you have come."

Jay knelt down on one knee. "Thank you Wind, great spirit of Windclan."

Wind smiled at his gesture of respect. "Stand, young one. I know why you are here."

Jay stood up. "I wish for you to bless this gem with some of your power, so that I may call on you in my time of need."

Wind gazed at Jay with her beautiful eyes, a small smile still on her face. "Yes. And I will grant this wish. But you must promise me something."

"Ask anything of me." Jay prompted.

"You must promise not only to call on my power when you are in need, but when your friends are in need too. They will need you, and all of your strength in the days to come." She told him, a serious expression appearing on her face.

Jay nodded. "Yes, my lady."

Suddenly, a sneer appeared on Wind's face. "I have also come to deliver a warning to you. One of your companions is not as they seem. They may appear to be your friend, but they are a creature born in desperation, and nurtured in darkness. This abomination will aid you in the time ahead, but it eventually will turn to the side of darkness. When that time comes, you must kill them. Destroy them, and rid the world of its disease."

An awestruck expression appeared on Jay's face. One of his allies was an… abomination? What did Wind mean by that? And to rid the world of its disease? What could that mean? He was just about to question Wind about this, but she had disappeared, vanished into thin air. Jay almost laughed at that expression, but a warm and comforting breeze swept over him, and he suddenly felt as if he hadn't slept in months. His eyes drooped as his legs buckled beneath him. The last thing he heard before he passed out was the voice of Wind.

"Rid the world of its abomination…"

ΩΩΩ

Lion stretched as he rose from his bed. He looked from side to side, noticing that Holly was still asleep, and Rowan was sitting on a chair beside her bed, his eyes closed. He also noticed that Breeze was still asleep, and Jay had not yet returned. He stood up, still stretching. _Well, I guess we have some time before we travel anymore,_ he thought. A few moments later, he was outside of the inn, looking around at the busy streets of Windclan. He wondered for a moment what he should do to pass the time. He considered visiting the temple to find Jay, but he had no idea where that was and they were probably doing some boring cleric stuff that he couldn't hope to understand. _Maybe I'll go outside and take a walk around the city,_ he thought. He walked through the middle city and the lower city, finding himself at the open gates. Since he had been through recently, the guards assured him that they would let him back in later without an explanation. He strolled along leisurely, taking in the view of the lush grasslands that made up Windclan territory. He was walking along, half in a doze, when he suddenly heard a loud clash nearby. He quickly looked toward the sound and saw a young woman, about his age, engaged in fierce combat with two lithe figures. He quickly unsheathed his own sword and rushed to the scene. The girl had brown, shoulder length hair, and was wearing light armor. She wielded dual short swords, which she seemed to be able to use quite adeptly. She was able to fend off the attack of one of the foxes, and strike at the other with her other sword at the same time. However, she seemed beleaguered, sweat beading her forehead, but she had no visible wound. Lion arrived just in time, as the girl blocked one of the swords of her attackers, but the other had circled around to her back. The fox brought down its sword, but was intercepted by Lion who quickly parried the attack, causing his enemy to jump backward to regain his stance. Just then, the girl had done the same, her attacker readying himself before he could attempt another barrage.

The girl looked over her shoulder at Lion, revealing hazel eyes. "Thanks for the help. I was wondering if anyone was passing by."

"No problem. I thought you could use some help." Lion replied.

"You know how to use that sword?" The girl asked.

"Well enough to beat these guys." Lion answered.

"Good. I know, how about a bet. I bet that my guy turns tail and runs before yours." The girl said playfully.

A playful glint appeared in Lion's eyes. "You're on!"

With that, the two jumped forward, simultaneously attacking their enemies. The foxes, prepared, blocked their attacks. Lion took on a battle stance, taking his sword in two hands, and holding it by his right hip. On the other hand, the girl hadn't let up on her opponent. She used her twin swords to drive him back. The fox seemed hard pressed to block her barrage of slashes with his one sword. Lion clenched his teeth and stared at the fox in front of him. _There's no way I'm letting her beat me! _He thought. He raised his sword and thrust at the fox's chest. The quick fox dodged out of the way, and took a horizontal swing at Lion's exposed shoulder. Lion quickly brought his sword back towards him to block the blow, and launch a spinning slash in exchange. The fox couldn't bring his sword up fast enough to block the blade. A long cut appeared on his abdomen, blood beginning to immediately seep out of the wound. The fox grimaced and yelped in pain. It held its arm to its chest and dashed away from Lion.

"And don't come back!" Lion yelled as it ran away, even though he knew that it couldn't understand him.

"You either!" The girl suddenly appeared next to Lion and shouted at her enemy, which was running alongside Lion's. After the two had disappeared over the next hill, she turned to Lion. "Well, I guess that neither of us wins." She said, giggling in spite of their tie.

Lion laughed too. "I guess not. You were pretty good out there."

The girl turned her nose up at Lion in mock vanity. "I know. You know, I could've defeated them without your help."

Lion faked an angry look. "Oh no! You would have been crow food without me here to save you!"

The two looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Okay, I admit I was in a jam before you came along. You're pretty handy with a blade. What's your name." the girl said once they had stopped laughing.

"I'm Lion, apprentice knight of Thunderclan. You?"

"Cinder. Apprentice lady knight of Thunderclan. Nice to meet you." She replied, holding out her hand.

Lion took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too. So, you're from Thunderclan too?"

Cinder nodded. "I'm training to be an elite knight for the King's royal force. As part of the training, I have to travel around the realm by myself. I guess the trainers didn't think it would be too dangerous, seeing as how the kingdoms are at peace. I'm starting to have my doubts though."

"Wow, what a coincidence. I'm traveling around too." Lion went on to explain his quest to her. Cinder's eyes widened at his story.

"Wow, a real quest! That's amazing!" She exclaimed.

Suddenly, Lion was struck with an idea. "Hey, why don't you come with us? You would get some great training in."

Cinder seemed to consider this for a moment. "Hm, they said I had that I couldn't bring anyone along, not that I couldn't join anyone along the way. Why not? I'll see how like traveling with you guys, and if it's fun, then I'll stay with you guys." She replied. "And plus, you guys may need my help if you're going to take out a necromancer." She added wryly.

Lion ignored her last comment. "Okay then, let's go back to the city and I'll introduce you to my friends. And Breeze."

The two began to make their way back to the city.


	12. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

A lone figure stood on the crest of a tall hill, looking down at the castle city. His traveling cloak flapped in the wind, the color of a dark blue sky. It was held together by a pin that was unrecognizable by the four kingdoms. It was in the shape of a cat's head, much like the other kingdoms' symbols, but with the shape of a cloud engraved into the center. His amber eyes, filled with a quiet rage, looked down on the kingdom. _I am here. Let vengeance begin…_

"We're all staying in this inn for now." Lion explained. He had led Cinder into the city, wanting to introduce her to the rest of his party. "Come on." He led her inside and up the stairs, where Breeze and Holly were awakening. "Hey guys, this is Cinder. She's a knight-in-training from Thunderclan, just like me."

"Hi everyone." Cinder said cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you Cinder." Holly said, stretching. "I would introduce you to my master Rowan, but he left a little while earlier. Said something about clouds."

Breeze yawned and stretched before speaking. When he opened his eyes, they widened at the sight of Cinder. It took him a moment to speak. "H-hi, I'm, uh, um… m-my name is Breeze."

Cinder giggled. "Yeah I know. Lion told me _a lot _about you."

Breeze growled. "Whatever he said about me, it isn't true! Unless he said that I'm way ahead of him in our training!"

Sparks flew between Lion and Breeze.

"You are not!"

"Yeah right! You couldn't beat me if you had all of Starclan on your side!"

"You're the one that got us put on probation from the Fighters' Guild!"

Holly and Cinder watched this for a moment before breaking out in laughter. The two boys took a break from bickering and looked at the girls.

"Boys, boys, it doesn't matter which of you is better! As long as you remember that neither of you could beat me, it will all be okay." Holly joked.

"Or me." Cinder added.

Holly looked over to Cinder. "You know, I think I see the beginnings of a beautiful friendship."

Breeze seemed angry at Holly's remark, but Lion ignored it. "It's cool that you guys are friends, because Cinder is planning on staying with us! Right Cinder?" he said excitedly.

"I guess so, for a little while at least. But I think we should ask your master first. Rowan was his name, right?"

Holly nodded in answer. "Yeah, we should probably ask him first. He should be back in a little while."

"Okay then, let's just wait for him here. Maybe Jay will be back soon too." Lion said.

As if he were summoned by name, Jay suddenly opened the door and came into the room, a haunted look on his face.

"Oh, look who's here. Hi Jay, this is Cinder." Lion said to Jay.

Jay looked at Cinder through sightless eyes, seeming to examine her closely, as if he were looking for something. Cinder looked from side to side uncomfortably.

Lion frowned at Jay. "Um, hello, Jay. Are you there? There's someone I want you to meet."

Jay flinched as Lion spoke. He stopped staring at Cinder. "Sorry. I'm Jay. Nice to meet you."

Cinder still looked uncomfortable. "Nice to meet you too."

There was silence for a moment before Lion spoke. "Well, now we're all here, except for Rowan. Oh, I guess I should tell you how I met Cinder. You see, I was out walking…" Lion began to recount what had happened earlier.

ΩΩΩ

_I know that you're here. But where…_ Rowan stood on the WIndclan wall, looking down upon the lands around the kingdom. He could feel a dark presence in the air, and he had to find the source. He drew one of his curved, scimitar-like daggers, and twirled it around in his hand. There were several people moving through the gate below, most of them travelers and roving merchants, but he knew that somewhere down there, was someone, or something, that had dark intentions. He looked around, studying each person intensely. None of them seemed out of the ordinary. _I'll just have to keep looking…_

ΩΩΩ

The five apprentices were sitting around their room. Lion was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands. Breeze was practicing his swinging, which looked a bit funny because he didn't have his sword in his hands. He was just swinging his arms around. Jay had his eyes closed as if he were meditating, but his blue eyes would flick open from time to time. Holly and Cinder were sitting side by side on Holly's bed, having a conversation about something. It seemed that Holly's prediction was correct, for she and Cinder seemed to hit it off._ Maybe it's because they're the only girls on the team. Besides Breeze._ Lion snickered to himself at that.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. He stood up and said, "Hey, I know about something we can do while we wait. Since Holly and Cinder think that we can't beat them in a match, why don't we go and spar. Me and Breeze against Holly and Cinder!"

Holly shrugged. "I dunno, what if Rowan comes back while we're gone?"

"I'll stay here." Jay said. "I'm kind of tired after visiting the temple. That way I can get some rest, and if Rowan comes back, he'll probably ask me where all of you have gone."

"Okay then, than it's settled. Let's show these boys who's boss!" Cinder said excitedly, jumping up to her feet.

With that, the four left the inn, and went to the plain where Lion had found Cinder earlier. They lined up, Breeze and Lion facing Cinder and Holly. In order to make sure that they wouldn't seriously wound each other, they all decided to keep their blades in their padded sheaths, that way, the only damage they could inflict would be bruises.

"Okay then, on the count of three." Lion said, getting into his battle stance. Beside him, Breeze readied himself. Holly and Cinder drew their weapons.

"One… two… THREE!"

The four leapt at each other.


	13. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Erin Hunter and Harpercollins. I own no part of the Warriors Franchise whatsoever.

Blades hit each other with a muffled thud. All four of the apprentices were locked together, blades pressed against each other. Lion held his sword against Holly's dual daggers, Breeze struggling against Cinder's blade beside him. Pushing on his blade with all of his strength, Lion was able to push Holly back, causing her to lose her balance. Lion swung his padded sword at Holly's left shoulder, taking advantage of her momentary loss of balance. However, Holly used her superior speed to duck under the attack. She dashed forward, head down, and struck a quick blow to Lion's waist. Lion turned around to face her. From the corner of his eye, Lion saw Breeze get stuck on the defensive, only nearly blocking Cinder's quick strikes. Cinder seemed at ease, a grin on her face as she mercilessly directed slash after slash at him. Breeze scowled, a bead of sweat running down his face. Lion directed his attention back to Holly, who had dashed forward for another attack. This time, however, Lion was prepared. Holly slashed first with her right hand and then with her left. Lion parried both attacks, and then launched an overhead strike. However, Holly easily rolled to the side, dodging the attack. Lion jumped back before Holly could counter-attack. Holly also took a step back, going back into her attack stance. Lion noticed movement to her side. Breeze had appeared beside him, breathing heavily.

"You wanna switch up?" Lion asked.

Breeze nodded in reply. The two switched places, with Lion now facing Cinder.

"You were right about Breeze. He isn't all that." Cinder said, a smirk on her face. "Let's just hope that you can fight better."

Lion growled and rushed at Cinder with a horizontal slash. Cinder quickly brought her sword up to parry, then counter-attacked with another horizontal slash. It was now Lion's turn to parry. However, instead of knocking away her sword, Lion held his blade against it, locking them in a test of strength. Their locked blades pushed back and forth. Lion smiled at Cinder, who was beginning to look beleaguered, a drop of sweat running down her forehead.

Lion braced himself for a final shove to end the stand-off, but was interrupted by a shout from Holly. "Lion, Cinder, look out!"

Lion looked to side to see a gigantic man in a black cloak swinging a huge mace at him. Lion and Cinder jumped back in time to barely dodge the huge weapon that sunk into the ground in the spot that they had just been standing. Lion looked in awe as the figure hefted the huge, spiked mace onto his shoulder.

"Hm. This is what the others are so worried about? Don't seem like much to me." The man said in a gruff voice.

"Hey! Who the heck are you?" Breeze shouted, drawing his sword out of its sheath.

The man took off his hood, revealing short black hair and a face with a large scar running across it. "Name's Brokenstar. Wait a sec, you two aren't part of the prophecy, are you? Eh, doesn't matter. I'll just kill all of ya and save the others the trouble. Now who's first?"

"I'm not afraid of you!" Holly shouted at him, drawing her daggers.

Brokenstar laughed gruffly. "You shouldn't little lady. He told me not to mess with you."

Holly looked bewildered. "What?"

"He told me to definitely not kill you. In fact, he said I might get an award if I brought you too him alive. So, I'll just kill all of your friends here, and we can go." Brokenstar said.

Before the group had time to react, Brokenstar launched himself at Cinder with unnatural speed. Cinder yelped and ducked, barely dodging the mace as it sailed over her head. Lion hesitated for a moment before drawing his blade out of its sheath and launching himself at Brokenstar's back. However, he was knocked away as Brokenstar spun around and backhanded him. Lion was knocked to the ground, stunned. Cinder took the chance to get up and dash to Breeze and Holly. Brokenstar approached Lion and raised his mace above his head.

"No!" Holly cried out, jumping in front of Lion.

Brokenstar hesitated, then cried out in pain. Holly's eyes widened in surprise. Rowan was here! He dashed to Holly's side, his daggers drawn. Holly noticed that one of the blades was stained with black blood.

"Get Lion up!" Rowan commanded.

Holly obeyed, picking Lion up. He leaned on her shoulder as she helped him away from the two men.

"Gah! You- you cut me!" Brokenstar wailed, pressing a hand to his shoulder, which was beginning to drip black blood.

"Yeah, and I would like to do it again, if that's okay with you." Rowan mocked.

"Why you!" Brokenstar went into a rage, swinging his mace wildly at Rowan.

Rowan easily dodged Brokenstar's wild swings, which sent Brokenstar into an even greater rage.

"I'm going to KILL YOU!" Brokenstar cried, a black haze beginning to rise from his body. Rowan just smiled and continued to dodge his attacks. Brokenstar swung wildly downward, impaling his mace deep into the ground. As he struggled to pull his mace out of the dirt, Rowan dashed around him and dealt several small blows to Brokenstar's back. Brokenstar cried out in pain, finally tugging his mace out of the ground. He spun around, holding out his mace to try and catch Rowan. Rowan crouched down, then back-flipped out of Brokenstar's range. Brokenstar cried out in frustration, taking a step away from Rowan.

"Grr, you may have beat me this time, but I'll be back! And then, I'm going to kill you!" Brokenstar shouted at Rowan, before drawing a black stone from his cloak. He crushed the stone in his hand, then threw the dust onto the ground. Where the dust landed, a black void opened. Brokenstar quickly stepped into the void, which vanished behind him.

Rowan put away his blades and smiled at the four apprentices. "Well, that was interesting."

Holly scowled at him. "Interesting? We all could've been killed!"

Rowan laughed once more. "Ah Holly, always looking on the dark side of things."

Holly just sighed, and looked down.

"Thanks for coming when you did Rowan. Even with all four of us, I'm not sure we could've beat him." Lion said after he had recovered.

Breeze huffed. "I bet we could've beat him. Even with Lion knocked out."

Before the two could start a fight, Cinder stepped in. "Oh, so you're Rowan! I'm Cinder, nice to meet you."

Rowan stepped forward to shake Cinder's hand. "Nice to meet you too Cinder. You seem pretty good with a blade by the way." Rowan said with a smile.

Cinder rubbed the back of her head, grinning. "Yeah, I guess I am pretty good. But the real credit goes to you. Thanks for saving us."

"No problem." Rowan replied.

"Hey Rowan, how did you know we were here?" Lion asked.

"Well, I was hanging out on the wall over there, when I spotted you guys down here sparring. I decided I would watch the girls own you two for a moment, before I saw that big guy jump you. I came as quick as I could then." Rowan answered.

"Hey! They weren't beating us!" Breeze and Lion shouted in unison.

Rowan began to laugh. "If you say so. Well, let's get back to the inn now before I have to save your butts again. Once we're there I'll treat us all to some food with my leftover gold."

ΩΩΩ

The man's eyes sparkled with a quiet curiosity. He stood upon a nearby hill, watching the five walk back toward the kingdom. _Who are these people, and why do I get this strange feeling when I look at them?_ His eyes narrowed with suspicion. _Especially the girl. They could be of some use to me…_


End file.
